Individualized Disease Protection for Your Pet
~ Pekin Family members Marc and Jenny
Vaccinations
Vaccinations help keep your animal healthy and happy. We recommend vaccinations for your pet depending on age, lifestyle and risk of exposure on an individual basis. While some vaccines are administered annually, others are recommended every three years.
We typically recommend these types of vaccines and preventatives:
Dogs
Distemper/Adenovirus/Parainfluenza/Leptospirosis/Parvovirus are five diseases that are debilitating and can cause death. Nearly every dog will be exposed to them during its lifetime, making vaccinations to protect your animal a must. Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection that can damage your dog’s kidneys. Other dogs and even humans can become ill after contact with infected urine. This disease can also be spread by wild animals such as raccoons. We vaccinate every year based on the risk of exposure. Vaccination for all of these diseases is recommended every year after the initial series.
Rabies is a fatal viral disease that can infect all warm-blooded animals, including dogs and humans. We vaccinate every three years after the initial vaccine. This vaccine is required by the state and you are required to renew your pet’s rabies tag every year with the county.
Bordetella Bronchiseptica is a highly contagious airborne virus and bacterium causing a dry hacking cough that can persist for six or more weeks. It is commonly known as canine or kennel cough and can be picked up just by meeting another pet that is infected. We vaccinate every year to protect your pet from exposure while on walks, at boarding kennels, dog parks, obedience schools, and veterinary hospitals or grooming facilities.
Heartworm is transmitted by mosquitoes. The larvae transform into adult worms and eventually block blood flow through the heart. This causes congestive heart failure and death if left untreated. Dogs should be placed on heartworm preventative at 8 weeks of age and continue on this medication for their entire life. A simple blood test is performed annually to ensure that your pet is free from heartworms.
Cats
FVRCP - This vaccination helps protect against three feline viral diseases: Rhinotracheitis, Calici virus, and Panleukopenia which is also known as distemper. All are highly contagious viruses which are easily transmitted between cats (even through the screen door) and can be fatal. We vaccinate every year following the initial vaccine series.
Rabies is a fatal viral disease that can infect all warm-blooded animals, including cats and humans. We vaccinate every three years after the initial vaccine. This vaccine is required by the state and you are required to renew your pet’s rabies tag every year with the county. Tazewell County requires that each dog or cat be vaccinated for rabies and the rabies tag be registered with the county. If you have any questions regarding this, please give us a call.
Feline leukemia - This virus severely suppresses a cat’s immune system so the cat’s body cannot fight off diseases. It can cause serious illness and death in cats. There is no cure, but there is a vaccine to prevent it. Testing for feline leukemia should be done prior to vaccination. It can be transmitted from mother to newborn or can lay dormant in the cat for years before symptoms become present. We recommend vaccinating all kittens up to one year of age. Vaccinations after that are yearly or based on viral titers.